RyansBooze

Manual Labour Beer Co. Second Opinion – American IPA at 4.9% ABV (C$4.72 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 16-May-2024)

Appearance: clear pale straw with two fat fingers of growing fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, stone fruit, citrus, pale crackery malt, retronasal coconut & grass. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, short medium bitter finish. (4/5)

Pilsner malt, hopped with Amarillo, Galaxy, and Sorachi Ace. This one’s a bit of an odd duck and hard to nail down. Initially, I got pretty big coconut notes, albeit only retronasally, to the point that I figured it had to be hopped with Sabro. (Turns out I was wrong there.) That faded fairly quickly though, and turned into a sort of grassy finish, and the aromas were quite mild overall. On the up side, although Sorachi Ace is not a particularly pleasant hop in my experience – I generally find it a bit dill-forward – no such negative notes were present here. The overall character was quite mild and not all that engaging. (13/20)

This will be my 5,825th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Paradise Delight – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.3% ABV | 35 IBU (C$5.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-Mar-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 15-May-2024)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of growing fluffy white head, good retention and moderate chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coconut, lemon, hints of vanilla and cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, moderate-low tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, short mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Malts are Pale Malt (2-Row), Pale Ale Malt, and Oat Malt. Hops are Cashmere and Idaho 7, dry-hopped with Sabro, Cashmere, and El Dorado. Coconut purée and lemon peel adjuncts. “Coconut Lemon Chiffon DIPA” Not gonna lie, this sounds like a kitchen sink kinda deal, but I’ve always had a great deal of respect for this brewery, so I’m willing to give it a fair shake. And I like it. This could have gone very very wrong and been a sweet mess, but in fact it’s surprisingly restrained on the palate despite the bombastic coconut aroma. It definitely succeeds in coming across as a not-too-sweet dessert cake, but in liquid form that makes you go a little cross-eyed. I’m probably rating this a touch high, but it’s just such goofy good fun that I’m OK with that. (16/20)

This will be my 5,824th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Irrational Brewing Company Autonomic Mind – Saison at 6.5% ABV (C$5.04 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 15-May-2024)

Appearance: clear straw with a short, short-lived loose white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pineapple, peppercorns. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, short mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Look, I like strong beer as much as the next guy – hell, probably more than most – but with very few exceptions, that’s not a characteristic of a good Saison. With this style, I’m looking for light, crisp, dry and refreshing. And yes, a low ABV is part of that. And while this one isn’t overly aggressive, it’s still largely lacking the earthy complexity that makes the style shine. In fact, the use of pineapple and peppercorn adjuncts here, instead of boosting the natural flavours, overwhelms them with the simplistic analogs. It’s not unlike comparing a Kettle Sour to a true Wild: yes, they’re both sour, but the former’s a kazoo and the latter’s a philharmonic. A Saison might not have the depth of character of a Wild, but it should be similar – and this isn’t, not very. (14/20)

This will be my 5,823rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Refined Fool Brewing Co. Hat Day Is Cancelled – American IPA at 6.7% ABV (C$5.26 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-Mar-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 15-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, hint of pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

I don’t dislike this, but it doesn’t really do anything to distinguish itself in a very crowded field. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, but also nothing to elevate it to the next level. (15/20)

This will be my 5,822nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company The Dreamer – Saison at 6% ABV | 15 IBU (C$8.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Apr-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 14-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy slightly pink-hued pale amber with one finger of loose pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone fruit, oak, hints of grape must. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate tart, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (4/5)

Barrel conditioned in Chardonnay barrels, cherry, peach & pear puree in tertiary. As Saisons go, this isn’t a Saison. I mean, at all. The fruit adjuncts overwhelm everything, the ABV is too high, and there’s almost none of the crisp earthy character I look for in the style. It’s not terrible, but it’s basically a slightly earthy hazy Pale. (13/20)

This will be my 5,821st unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Giga Saturation – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.1% ABV | 45 IBU (C$6.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 8-Apr-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 13-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, tropical fruit, cereal grains. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-low bitter. (9/10) Palate: soft medium body, moderate carbonation, mild clean finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Nectaron, American Noble, Mosaic, Citra, and El Dorado hops. Soft, hazy juice bomb. That’s a heck of a nice beer, right up there with the best this brewer does – and that’s saying something, considering my average score for them  is just shy of world-class, and that’s with almost 40 examples. I actually don’t know if any of the breweries that produce benchmark world-class beers can actually claim to do better than that overall. Is it the best beer I’ve ever had? No. Clearly not. But it’s starting to get within reaching distance of that, and it’s local. I call that a major win. (17/20)

This will be my 5,820th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Deschutes Brewery Symphonic Chronic – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9% ABV | 60 IBU (C$6.75 at Collective, 568 ml, packaged on 5-Mar-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 11-May-2024)

Appearance: slightly chill hazed deep gold with two growing fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus zest, dank resiny pine, tropical fruit, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, lingering bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Citra, Chinook, CTZ, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Idaho 7, straight 2 Row malt. I don’t usually get too interested in price, but I found it interesting that this thing costs four yankee bucks at the brewery, while after a thousand miles of travelling and a currency conversion, my premium is right around a buck thirty. Well that’s cheaper than a trip to Oregon, innit? The brewer says this is a combination of WCIPA and Hazy characteristics, but the fact is there’s not really all that much NEIPA juiciness going on here. It’s probably a bit milder and juicier than a truly old-school WCIPA, but not by a whole heck of a lot. Not a criticism (because it’s actually quite nice as it is); just an observation. (16/20)

This will be my 5,818th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Refined Fool Brewing Co. Florida Stole My Parents OJ IPA – American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 10 IBU (C$5.26 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 4-Apr-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 9-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus zest and pith, resiny pine, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration mildly bitter finish. (4/5)

“Brewed with Comet and Eclipse hops”. Oh, but they cheated – it’s “citrus infused” with “massive fruit additions”. Tut, tut. Tempted to mark you down for that, but on the other hand, I love a Radler, so… (16/20)

This will be my 5,816th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Refined Fool Brewing Co. Van Full of Weirdos Juicy IPA – American IPA at 6.2% ABV | 30 IBU (C$5.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 11-Apr-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 9-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with two growing fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, resiny pine, citrus, cereal grains. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

The brewer calls this “Simcoe-heavy” but doesn’t specify what other hops were used. It’s not catty, in any case. It’s also not blowing me away or anything, and I would certainly like there to be a bit more “juice” character in something that bills itself as “juicy”, but it’s fine. There’s a decent little bitter through the finish that might not jibe with “juicy”, but that I nonetheless enjoy. (15/20)

This will be my 5,815th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Destihl Brewery Dead Head West Coast-Style – American IPA at 7% ABV | 60 IBU (C$7.30 at Collective, 568 ml, packaged on 2-Feb-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 7-May-2024)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two growing fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: zesty citrus, resiny pine, pale crackery malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, building bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

“Citra, Simcoe & Chinook hops with a vintage malt backdrop.” Sure, why not? Pretty classic flavour profile for the style, works for me. (15/20)

This will be my 5,814th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com